Of course, this mental suggestion didn't apply to people who already knew Yusei. Since they were already familiar with him, they wouldn't be affected by the Rinnegan's influence.
In the evening, Asuna had self-study sessions, so Yusei took it upon himself to cook dinner for the younger members of the household.
Considering Hong Hong was still a little fox, Yusei thoughtfully warmed up some milk for her. This, however, seemed to offend the small creature.
Despite her timid appearance, she possessed a surprisingly stubborn streak.
She insisted she was not an infant and should be eating proper food, not drinking milk.
Yusei was tempted to pick her up by the scruff and deposit her outside.
'You should be grateful you're getting fed at all.'
In the end, Yusei drank the milk himself.
Fortunately, the little fox seemed adaptable. She had spent the entire afternoon with Yui and had already grown comfortable, no longer crying about returning home to her sisters, Rong Rong and Ya Ya.
This was a relief to Yusei. After all, if she had been noisy all day, he might have lost his patience.
Having concluded his afternoon training, Yusei planned to enjoy a proper, lazy evening. He lounged on the sofa, intending to watch some television.
Just as he was getting settled, his phone rang.
The caller ID showed: Shinomiya Kaguya.
It suddenly struck Yusei that he hadn't actually called Kaguya since his return.
He answered the call, and a voice filled with clear grievance immediately came through.
"You big idiot!"
"Uh... I've been really busy. And I thought you were busy with school? I didn't want to disturb your studies..."
"Those are just excuses!"
Kaguya saw right through him.
Yusei's expression tightened. She wasn't wrong.
He sighed. "Alright, alright. You're right, it's my fault. Where are you? I'll come to you right now."
"I'm downstairs from your apartment. Hayasaka and I are waiting in the car. We can discuss the rest on the way."
Yusei looked at the now-ended call and shrugged helplessly.
He spotted Yui walking out of her room, still holding the little fox, Hong Hong.
"Remember to get to bed on time," After saying that, he told her, "I'm heading out for a bit."
"Okay, Papa," Yui replied obediently.
Satisfied, Yusei smiled, walked over to the balcony door, opened it, and stepped out into the open air.
Yui and the little fox gasped. Hong Hong scrambled onto the balcony railing and peered down, the height making her dizzy. In her current, pre-transformation state, she had no ability to fly.
In this world of such thin spiritual energy, she had nearly given up hope, believing it might take a century for her to achieve a human form.
She never expected that young man to be capable of flight!
Beside her, Yui clapped her hands happily as she watched her father float gently to the ground.
By manipulating the Rinnegan's control over attractive and repulsive forces, Yusei could indeed fly.
Downstairs, Kaguya, seated in the car, watched Yusei's descent and rolled her eyes.
"Always showing off. Hurry up and get in. Grandfather is waiting."
"Eh? What does Old Ma… Shisou want with me?"
Noticing Kaguya's sharp look, Yusei quickly amended his almost-spoken 'Old Man Koken' to a more respectful form of address.
Kaguya nodded, pleased, "Our families, the ones with longer histories, have a tradition. We hold competitions to assess the prowess of the younger generation."
"Oh. But why martial contests? You'd think in the modern era, the focus would be elsewhere," Yusei mused, puzzled.
"They are families with long traditions. Of course they train their children in the martial arts. The Okita Family, for instance, practices swordsmanship, much like our own Shinomiya Family."
Yusei nodded, though he was still confused, 'What did these family competitions have to do with me?'
Even as the Shinomiya son-in-law, he had no desire to bully children.
The idea of participating in such an event seemed profoundly boring.
As if reading his mind, Kaguya offered a bright smile.
"Don't worry, you're not competing. You and Grandfather are to be judges. Normally, this role would fall to my father."
"So they really are treating me as the resident son-in-law?" Yusei grumbled good-naturedly.
"Haven't you always been?" Kaguya teased, her eyes glinting.
"No, you're marrying into my family, not the other way around," Yusei retorted, amused, and reached out to pinch her cheek.
Kaguya, whom he hadn't seen in half a year, had matured further. Her sleek, dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, incredibly striking.
Yet, her core charm remained, and she seemed even more attached to him, clinging to his arm like a koala from the moment he entered the car.
Their driver, Hayasaka, pretended not to notice, though she was secretly pleased by their closeness. If their relationship is this good, her life after accompanying Kaguya into the marriage will be comfortable, she thought.
The car glided into the Shinomiya main house.
Yusei and Kaguya entered the main house together. The senior members of the Shinomiya Family were all present: Kaguya's grandfather, her father, and her mother.
They appeared to be in the middle of a discussion, all having pleasant smiles.
Seeing Yusei and Kaguya arrive together, their smiles widened.
Kaguya's mother stood and warmly ushered the pair to sit beside her.
"Perfect timing. We were just speaking about the two of you."
"Uncle, Auntie, Shisou..." Yusei began his greetings, but Kaguya's mother interrupted with a gentle laugh.
"Still 'Uncle and Auntie'?"
"..."
Yusei paused, then corrected himself, "Father, Mother, Grandfather."
"Hahaha! Excellent!" Koken's face lit up with a hearty laugh.
Yusei felt a strange, unfamiliar sensation, 'Was it nervousness?'
'Me, nervous? The guy who doesn't flinch fighting Heretic Gods?'
Alright, he was a little nervous. He couldn't help it. He didn't even call his own parents 'Father' and 'Mother' that often. Using the terms for his in-laws felt oddly formal.
Beside him, Kaguya covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter.
Fortunately, Koken, who was also his master, stepped in to ease the moment.
"Alright, let's move to the matter at hand. Yusei, a situation has arisen where we may need you to represent the Shinomiya Family."
Yusei looked at Koken, his expression questioning. Before he could ask for details, Koken's face grew stern.
"Another of the Three Sacred Treasures has surfaced… the Yasakani no Magatama."